…Claims police lobby for posting to region
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, has decried the proliferation of security checkpoints across South-East roads, describing the region as “a cocoa farm for security operatives.”
He alleged that some police personnel now lobby to be posted to the South-East because of the illicit financial gains associated with such postings.
Speaking during a virtual town hall meeting organised by Ikengaonline, Nwanguma lamented that corruption, brutality, and extortion have continued to characterise policing in the region despite repeated reform efforts.
“The South-East has historically been seen as a cocoa farm for law enforcement operatives. Police officers lobby to be posted there.
“I did a research in Onitsha and discovered a police officer who spent 15 years in one location. When he was due for promotion and transfer, he preferred to remain in his old rank rather than be moved out of the region because of the money he makes there,” he said.
According to him, security operatives exploit the business-minded nature of the people of the South-East, knowing that they are often in a hurry and willing to pay bribes to avoid delays.
“Our people are business-minded. They’re always on the move, and the police exploit their impatience and willingness to part with something. It has become normal to offer bribes and move on.
“In the South-West, people resist it; in the North, you can’t even contemplate it. Our people need to learn to challenge such illegality,” he added.
Nwanguma noted that despite the heavy presence of security personnel and multiple checkpoints, violent crimes still persist in the South-East, raising questions about the real motives behind the roadblocks.
“Most of those checkpoints are not for protection; they are for extortion. They make a lot of money. It’s not about providing security. Even with those checkpoints, kidnappers still operate freely. They are not there to protect the people but to prey on them,” he stated.
He also alleged that the situation forms part of a wider effort to subjugate the region.
“This is part of an attempt to keep the South-East down as a conquered territory. That’s why an Inspector General of Police can go there and order operatives to ‘go after IPOB members and kill them,’ and nothing will happen. You can’t say that in the South-West; there will be protests,” he said.
The RULAAC boss expressed disappointment that despite repeated directives by successive Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) to dismantle the illegal checkpoints, the practice has persisted.
“Successive IGPs have ordered the dismantling of those checkpoints, but within weeks, they return because the operatives make returns to their superiors. It’s an institutional corruption,” he lamented.
He called for sensitisation of citizens to resist intimidation and harassment by security operatives.
“Our people need reorientation. They should learn to resist injustice and ask questions. Even if the police arrest you, don’t be quick to offer bribes. If they want to detain you, let them. We need to change our mindset,” he advised.
Nwanguma further faulted the government’s lack of commitment to genuine police reforms, citing institutional resistance within the force.
“There’s no genuine political will to implement far-reaching reforms. The Police Act of 2020 introduced several innovative provisions that, if implemented, would address many of these challenges, but the government is not interested.
“Even the Complaints Response Unit set up by the late IGP Solomon Arase to handle complaints in real time is being sabotaged by the police leadership,” he said.
